The present invention relates to a pulse generator circuit and, more particularly, to a pulse generator circuit triggerable by a pulse of nuclear radiation.
Circuits triggerable by nuclear radiation are well known to those skilled in the art. These circuits commonly include a radiation detector device such as a radiation-responsive semiconductor diode and amplifier and shaping circuitry for amplifying and shaping (e.g., lengthening) the output signal of the radiation detector device. While these circuits generally perform in a satisfactory manner, they have several disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, the radiation detector devices employed in these circuits are generally specially-designed devices and, therefore, costly, and in many cases require non-standard biasing operating voltages which can be supplied only by special power supplies. In addition, these radiation detection devices are limited in the degree to which they can be integrated with other circuits, the designer being generally limited only to choosing the size of an output resistor of the detector device. If this resistor does not provide sufficient range then either additional amplification must be provided or another detector type must be selected. An additional disadvantage of many commercially-available detector devices is that they can be tested only by direct exposure to nuclear radiation. Other available detector devices, because of their particular design, can be tested electrically only with substantial difficulty. When detector devices as described above are used with special power supplies and amplifier and shaping circuitry for processing the output signals of the detector devices, adequate space provision must be made for housing or containing all of these components, for example, on a printed circuit board, and, in addition, adequate venting must be provided for carrying away heat normally produced by the special power supplies and added circuits.